Eòrpa

Tha Eorpa a' tilleadh le sreath ur a' coimhead air na sgeulachdan as cudromaiche bho air feadh na Roinn Eorpa. Eorpa is back with a new series examining the most important stories from across Europe.

In this week's Eòrpa the team report from Uist and Portugal.

The Eòrpa team report from Southern Ireland and Spain.

The Eòrpa team reports from Uist and Norway.

The Eòrpa team reports from Romania and Ireland.

What is Iceland doing that we are not? Old Icelandic tales historically have been told in the style of sagas. That’s with a beginning – where the history of the tale is told, a middle – where a fight, or struggle, occurs and the end where the situation is resolved. Darren Laing has been to Iceland to investigate the country’s economic situation – the history, struggle and the resolution. The banks fell, the old government fell and the country obtained an emergency loan from the IMF. Now though, there is growth in the economy (2.7% in 2011), and the number of people out of work has fallen. What is Iceland doing that we are not?

Buildings in Rome requiring restoration. Rome in Italy – one of the oldest cities in the world with tourists coming from every corner of the globe to see the most famous buildings in Europe. Although many of them were built in age of the Roman Empire, they are still standing, but many of them are in great need of restoration and preservation work. Who should be paying for such work? In times where budgets are very small, the trusts must use different ways to acquire the money.

Pàirc Estate Buyout. The Pàirc Estate in Lewis comprises around 26,000 acres of moorland and hills, with a population of 400 spread among small crofting townships. It’s also where one of Scotland’s bitterest land disputes of recent times has been taking place for the last 10 years. In 2003, the Pàirc community voted to pursue their rights under the Land Reform Act (Scotland) to force private landlord Barry Lomas to sell the estate. Since then, despite professed efforts from both sides to avoid a hostile buyout and reach an amicable transfer of the estate, no agreement has been reached. The community group Pàirc Trust say Mr Lomas has made every effort to stall the process, while Lomas says he wants to sell – for the right price. On Eòrpa this week, Darren Laing reports on the longest running community buyout ever in Scotland.

Islam in France. Islam is the second biggest religion in the world with a billion followers. In France, it would appear that the number of Muslims is about between five and ten per cent of the population – the biggest number in any country in the European Union. But many Muslims in France are suffering from discrimination and many of the French people are worried, at the same time, that their own self-identity is in danger. It’s a country that represents liberty, equality and fraternity in France. Is this still true with the number of Muslims growing at such a rate that there are more around than Catholics? And are there Islamophobic feelings amongst the French population? In France, there is no place for religion in business linked with the government and at the same time, the government cannot take issue with matters linked with religion. Since that is the case, how hard is it for Muslims to take their place in the French way of life?